AHLSTROM: KIND AND ABUNDANCE OF FISH LARVAE 



largest a metamorphosing female. These were 

 obtained in the South China Sea, Indian Ocean, 

 and Caribbean Sea. The EASTROPAC record 

 is the first from the Pacific. 



The caudal fin is usually unpigmented in cer- 

 atioid larvae, but caudal pigment is developed 

 on several kinds of oneirodid larvae. Larvae 

 of O. melanocauda have stippled pigment near 

 the outer margin of the caudal rays. Larvae 

 of Penthrichthys sp. have pigment sprinkled 

 over much of the caudal fin rays. A third kind 

 of oneirodid larva with streaks of caudal pig- 

 ment between the rays was taken at Station 

 47.250 (ontogenetic series yet to be worked out) . 



The larvae of Pentherichthys from the east- 

 ern Pacific are probably referable to P. atratus 

 (Regan and Trewavas) . Collections were made 

 at six stations in the inner pattern between lat 

 2° and 8°N. The 10 specimens ranged in total 

 length from 3.2 to 7.0 mm. Bertelsen remarked 

 on the paucity of small specimens of Penther- 

 ichthys in the Dana material; only 2 of 19 spec- 

 imens were under 7.5 mm in total length. 



Antennariidae 



(1 occurrence, 1 larva) 



The specimen, taken at an inshore Station, 

 46.132, on the middle pattern, was 7.5 mm SL 

 and had fin counts of D-II + 1-13, A7, PIO, V5, 

 C9. These counts could apply equally to species 

 in the genera Histrio or Antennarius. 



Lophiidae 



(1 occurrence, 1 larva) 



A specimen of a lophiid larvae was obtained 

 in the middle pattern at Station 46.145. This 

 specimen, 15.5 mm SL (25.0 mm TL), had the 

 following counts: D-II + I + III — 8, A6, 

 P16/17, V6, C8. This specimen is referable to 

 the genus Lophiomus. Carman described two 

 species of Lophiomus from the eastern Pacific 

 with identical counts to the above. Norman in 

 his unpublished synopsis considered the genus 

 monotypic with Carman's species as junior syn- 

 onyms of L, setigerus Vahl. The third dorsal 



spine is rather widely separated from an anteri- 

 or group of two spines and a posterior group of 

 three. The last ray in both the dorsal and anal 

 fins was bifurcate to the base, differing in this 

 respect from the last ray in ceratioid fishes, 

 which is single. The larvae had two spines above 

 the eye on either side of the head, differing in 

 this character from the published larval series 

 for Lophius piscatorius and L. americanus 

 (Taning, 1923) ; the pectoral fins were consider- 

 ably smaller and compact. 



57. OTHER IDENTIFIED 

 (23 occurrences, 51 larvae) 



Two of the families, Amarsipidae and Stro- 

 mateidae, have been discussed in the section deal- 

 ing with Nomeidae and other Stromateiodei (No. 

 42). Other families included under "other iden- 

 tified" include Eutaeniophoridae (2 occurrences, 

 2 larvae), Cadidae (7 occurrences, 10 larvae), 

 Callionymidae (2 occurrences, 2 larvae), Fistu- 

 lariidae (1 occurrence, 1 larva), Gerridae-E^- 

 cinostomus sp. (4 occurrences, 15 larvae) , Micro- 

 desmidae (4 occurrences, 6 larvae), Pomadasyi- 

 d'cXQ-Anisotremus sp. (2 occurrences, 7 larvae), 

 and Tetradontidae (1 occurrence, 1 larva). 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 



I wish to thank the many scientists who par- 

 ticipated on EASTROPAC cruises for their care 

 in collection and preservation of the plankton 

 collections, and the technicians who laboriously 

 sorted out fish eggs and larvae from the 1.0-m 

 oblique plankton hauls for their thoroughness 

 and patience. I especially wish to thank Eliza- 

 beth Stevens for her careful identification of the 

 fish larvae obtained on the four EASTROPAC 

 monitoring cruises made by the David Starr 

 Jordan, Kenneth Raymond for preparing the 

 distribution charts, Elaine Sandknop and Amelia 

 Gomes for their aid in many aspects of the work, 

 such as preparation of cleared and stained spec- 

 imens and x-raying of juvenile and adult spec- 

 imens. H. GeoflFrey Moser worked closely in 



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